Minnesota · Lyon County
East Twin Lake Fishing guide
East Twin Lake is a 357-acre lake in Lyon County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 7.6 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, smallmouth bass, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025One of the best around12.7per gill net17"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 38 fish
2024Lengths measured · 32 fish
2020Lengths measured · 82 fish
2016Lengths measured · 70 fish
2012Smallmouth bassOne of the best around87.8per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 110 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 9 fish
2024Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 101 fish
2024Lengths measured · 138 fish
2020Lengths measured · 108 fish
2016BluegillJust a few2.4per trap net7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 15 fish
2020Lengths measured · 19 fish
2016Lengths measured · 41 fish
2012Lengths measured · 1 fish
2008Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
No recent survey rating.
Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish East Twin Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. With 63% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 63% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Smallmouth bass | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 22" | 17" | 11" |
| 2020 | 16" | 18" | 12" |
| 2016 | 24" | 19" | 10" |
| 2012 | 15" | 19" | 12" |
| 2008 | 28" | 12" | 11" |
| 2004 | 26" | 11" | 9" |
| 2000 | 25" | — | 8" |
| 1996 | 16" | — | 10" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 112,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 112,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 112,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 112,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 112,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 112,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
East Twin Lake is located south of Florence in Lyon County, Minnesota. The lake has a surface area of 352 acres, a maximum depth of 26.5 feet and water clarity was 9.0 feet during early June of 2024. It is managed primarily for Smallmouth Bass and Walleye, and secondarily for Yellow Perch and Bluegill. East Twin Lake is a unique southwestern Minnesota lake given its depth. Water levels have steadily risen since the late 1980's to a historical high during the summer and fall of 2019 due to hydrological changes in the watershed. No permanent outlet existed for East Twin Lake and rising water levels led to flooding of nearshore landowner property as well as massive shoreline erosion. Therefore, Lyon County worked in concert with the local DNR hydrologist to permit, plan, and install a temporary outlet. A new public access was installed in 2010 on the west side of the lake to replace an old, flooded access. Interestingly, the new public access faced its own flooding issues prior to the installation of the temporary outlet. When the access was flooded, boats could still be loaded but waders or shorts with wading shoes were needed. Flooded concrete was then an issue for boating safety near the ramp. The access may return to normal after a permanent outlet is established in the future. During the summer of 2024, East Twin was listed as infested for Zebra Mussels after anglers reported catching a branch with several adults attached. Given the extreme drop off of the shoreline, a survey was conducted using only gill nets during the week of 3 June 2024.
WALLEYE
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye were caught at a rate of 12.7 per gill net which exceeded the expected catch rate range for similar lakes (0.8 to 3.8 per net). The gill net catch rate was the 3rd greatest on record. Walleye in the gill nets ranged in length from 8.5 to 22.5 inches with a mean length of 16.8 inches. Seven different age groups of Walleye were present (ages 1-6 and 10) with age-10 fish most prevalent at 36% of the sample followed by age-3 with 22% and age-1 with 19% and the remaining 23% a mixture of all other ages. The health of the Walleye in the net samples was excellent. Walleye fishing could be very good over the next several years on East Twin Lake with a good number of fish over 16 inches (66%).
OTHER SPECIES
Other species sampled in the gill nets not mentioned above were Smallmouth Bass (Total Number = N = 9), White Sucker (N=11), and Yellow Perch (N=6). The Smallmouth Bass catch rate was 3.0 per gill net with individuals ranging in length from 9.9 to 15.4 inches. The White Sucker catch rate was 3.67 per gill net with individuals ranging in length from 16.6 to 21.3 inches. Finally, Yellow Perch were caught at a rate of 2.0 per gill net with fish ranging in length from 6.9 to 11.8 inches. Sixty-six percent of Yellow Perch were over 9 inches, indicating a very good size distribution for anglers.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
East Twin Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on East Twin Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- DNR access: DNR OWNED ACCESS ON SW SIDE OF LAKE
DNR bathymetry
East Twin Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- West Twin Lake · 220 ac · 1 mi
- Currant Lake · 406 ac · 5.9 mi
- Rock Lake · 379 ac · 6.6 mi
- McKay Lake · 167 ac · 8.4 mi
- Clear Lake · 66 ac · 8.8 mi
- Yankton Lake · 403 ac · 9 mi
- Iron Lake · 282 ac · 9.5 mi
- Wood Lake · 373 ac · 9.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is East Twin Lake?
East Twin Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point; about 63% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is East Twin Lake?
East Twin Lake covers 357 acres with about 4.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in East Twin Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on East Twin Lake average 7.6 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in East Twin Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is East Twin Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does East Twin Lake have a public access?
Yes. East Twin Lake has one public access site: DNR access (DNR OWNED ACCESS ON SW SIDE OF LAKE).
How big do walleye get in East Twin Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was East Twin Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed East Twin Lake in 2024, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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